Pneumatic thread extractor for looms



FIG. l

Oct. 29, 1940. 2,219,793

R. G. TURNER PNEUMATIC THREAD EXTRACTOR FOR LOOMS Filed July 3l, 1939 f a" 'Il ATToRNEY FIG- 7 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES' PATENT folFFicE PNEUMATIC THREAD XTRACTOR FOR LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, -Worcester, l Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts l Application July 31, 1939, Serial No. 287,465

y14: Claims.

pneumatic thread extractors for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a simplified pneumatic system for removing the 5 thread extending from the selvage to the out-V going bobbin at the time of transfer.

In bcbbin changing looms the insertion cfa fresh reserve bobbinand the removal of the depleted bobbin are accomplished at the same time,

usually by a single stroke of the transferrer arm,-

so that it derives support directly from the pivotal mounting. In this Way I eliminate one of the parts heretofore employed.

In my .present invention I provide a tube having an intake mouth at its lower end and bend the tube upwardly and backwardly toward the pivotal mounting thereby providing a curve in the interiorof the tube which I `find increases U0 the frictional hold on the thread. In constructing the tube so that it has .direct supporting relation withthe pivotal mounting I therefore also achieve an increased tension or drag on the thread.

to improve the pivotal mounting withl a View to insuring retention of the pneumatic tube in any position to which it may be moved. In carrying this feature of my invention into effect I provide 4o a friction device which yieldingly holds the tube either raised or lowered, `and I prefer to use a sheet of inherently resilient material, such as natural or articial rubber, so positioned as to exert a compressing force on the relatively mov- 45 a-ble friction surfaces. I have found for instance that a stationary metal stand having a friction surface to engagea fiber disk beside which is a disk of resilient material will operate satisfactorily to hold the tube in position when pressure 50 is exerted on the resilient disk by means of a bolt or the like. l t

It is desirable that the intake mouth -be moved to a position in alignment with the thread extending from the selvage linto the shuttle box and it is a further object of my present inven- .f5 It is a further object of my present invention (Cl. 139-256) This invention relates to improvements in tion to provide means for lowering the tube including a part which is moved by but adjustable with respect to the transferrer arm. This partl includes an arm capable of having a plurality of fixed angular vpositions with respect to the 54 transferrer arm and positioned for engagement with the pneumatic tube. This latter feature has advantages in distributing wear but I do not wish'necessarily to ybe held to it inthe practice of my invention. f

In pneumatic thread extractors of the type already mentioned it has been proposed heretoforerto provide a baiile wall or plate to project into deformable material extending across the iay for the purpose ofY guiding the thread toward the intake mouth. These baffle plates have been formed as separate parts to be attached to the extractor tube and it is a further object of my present invention to eliminate these plates by shaping the tube in such a way that a portion of it will extend horizontally overthe deformable material and serve the same purposel as the previously proposed guards or plates. To enable `the tube to perform this additional `function Aof guarding the thread I extend the lower end of the tube rearwardly and thereby produce an additional bend in the tube'which increases the frictional Yhold which the tube has on the thread in the tube.

lWith' these and other objects in View which 30 will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrange- -ment of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my inventionis set forth,

Fig. 1 Yis anv end elevation of my invention viewed from the center of the loom with the pneumatic tubev in normally raised position,

parts being in section, 40 y Fig. 2 is'a detailed vertical section on line 2 2 Of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3is a View similar to a portion of Fig. 1

k but showing the tube moved to threadv removing position,

Fig. 4 vis--a bottom plan view of the 'lower end of the tube, showing the intake mouth-and guide tongue, taken in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 1,

Fig. 5is a plan view of parts of the lay, shuttle and thread extractor, and

Fig. 6y is a view similar to a part of Fig. 3 but showing the extractor tube in engagement with. the pile tufts on the lay;

Referring to the drawing, I have shown af loom'. framel including Va breast'beamv H on which is 55 designated generally herein at M and similar to that shown in my prior Patent No. 2,128,974 includes in its construction a transferrer arm I3 movable pivotally about a fixed stud I4 by a latch I5 normally below the path of a bunter I6 on the lay L. The latter is reciprocated in the usual manner by a connector I1 and moves forwardly or to the right as viewed in Fig. 1 toward transfer position each beat of the loom.

The magazine may rock around a pivot I8 to place its delivery throat I9 over the shuttle S preparatory to transfer. The magazine is of the type which supplies two distinctive kinds of weft and for a further description of the mechanism thus far described reference may be had to my previously mentioned patent.

The upper part of the lay has a bodyuof deformable material such as pile fabric indicated at 25 across which the weft thread W extends from the selvage into the shuttle box 26. This material 25 may be substantially the same in function as that set forth in my co-pending application Serial No. 190,637 to which reference may be had for the general features of mypresent invention. 'I'he loom frame has secured thereto a bracket 28 mounted for vertical and horizontal adjustment by means of a bolt 29 and the vertical and horizontal slots 30 and 3I, respectively, in the bracket and loom frame. A forwardlyextending arm' 32 of the bracket affords support for a rocking arm 33 to be described more in detail hereinafter and the upper end of which has a web 34 for engagement with a resetting screw 35 adjustable horizontally and transversely of the lay. This screw engages the web 34 on the backward stroke of the lay immediately following the transferring operation of the loom to return arm 33 to the normal position shown in Fig. 1.

The matter thus far described may be similar to the construction shown in my prior patent and in the previously identified `cio-pending application. Itis thought sufncient for present purposes to state that when a transferring operation of the loom is called byweft exhaustion the magazine will place a reserve bobbin under the transferrer arm I3 and that the latter will descend by engagement ofthe bunter I6 with the temporarily raised latch I5 as the lay approaches its front center position, therebyeffecting counter-clockwise angular motion of the transferrer arm around its pivot I4 to the position shown in Fig. 3.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide a pneumatic tube 4Ill the forward end of which is bent down as at 4I and then rearwardly as at 42. The rear of the tube is closed by a plate 43 from which projects adownwardly and forwardly extending guide tongue 44 intended to move forwardly through thedeformable material 25. An intake mouth 45 in the lower rear part of section 42 is located over the tongue 44 and affords access to the interior of the tube.

' From" the vertica-l section4I the tube extends rearwardly as at 46 and terminates in an upwardly bent part 41 fitted to a pneumatic tube 48. The latter isv connected to avacuum pump to create an indraft ofi air into the intake mouth as the lay .moves rearwardly, all as described in my co-pending application Serial No. 190,637.

In order to hold the tubein position I provide the construction shown in detail in Fig. 2. The rocking arm'33 has 'abore 50 through which the straight part 46 of the tube extends and in which itis held in adjustedthorizontal positionV by set screw 5I threadedinto the arm. Thearm `33 is mounted pivotally on a bolt 52 preferably threaded in the bracket arm 32 and held in adjusted position by a lock nut 53. The arm 32 has a flat friction surface 55 which engages a fiber disk 56 mounted on the bolt 52. Adjacent to the disk 56 is a second disk 51 of inherently resilient compressible material, such as natural or articial rubber. The latter engages the lower part of the arm 33 from which project pins 58 secured to the arm and passing through the rubber disk and into the ber disk. By this construction the ber disk is required to rotate with the arm 33 with its friction surface 60 in frictonal engagement with the surface 55 on the bracket arm 32.

The head 6I of the bolt exerts pressure on the arm 33 and by turning the bolt 52 the force derived from the head 6I and transmitted through the compressible disk 51 can be varied to provide the desired frictional contact between surface 55 and 60. A washer 62 between the bolt head and the arm 33 assists in permitting angular motion of the latter around the bolt. Provision is thus made for holding the tube 40 in any position to which it may be moved between upper and lower stop screws 65 and 66 the first of which may be mounted on bracket 28 while the other is held by the loom frame.

l In orderv that the tube 40 may be lowered from its normal raised position I provide an arm 18 supported by and movable about the stud I4 and form therein a slot 1I arcuate with respect to stud I4. A stud 12 secured to the transferrer arm I3 projects through the slot 1I and holds the arm 1I) in fixed adjusted position with respect to the transferrer arm by a nut 13. By reason of this connection between the transferrer arm and the arm 10 the latter may be held in any one of a plurality of fixed positions angularly with respect to the transferrer arm and move with the latter. The rear end of arm 10 has a foot 15 the lower part of which is faced with an anti-friction plate 16, such as leather, for engagement with an upper curved part of the tube 40.

In operation, the parts will normally be in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the tube 40 raised and the intake mouth above the thread W extending from the selvage into the shuttle box. When a transfer isv called the transferrer arm descends and causes foot 15 of arm 10 to press the forward end of the tube 40 downwardly. This motion i embeds thetongue 44 in the pile fabric material, as suggested in Fig. 3. and also places the short lower horizontal section 42immediately over the pile fabric. This condition exists while the lay is in the forward part of its stroke. after transfer the transferrer arm I3 will rise during rearward movement of the lay in well-known manner, but the frictional pressure between surfaces 55 and 60 will hold the tube 10 in the down or operating position shown in Fig. 3. As the lay recedes the thread W, held frictionally by the tops of the pile tufts 25, moves toward tongue 44 and tota position under the intake mouth.r After the thread is cut as described in my co-pending applicationA Serial No. 190,637, its end remote from-the selvage will be free to respond to the tractive force of an inrushing column of air entering the intake mouth. As the lay continues to move rearwardly the thread enters the mouth, being directed toward the latter by the tongue 44.

As previously described, the inrush of air is caused by the creationrof sub-atmospheric pressures in the rubber tube 48 and the thread is drawn into the 'tube 'and held inV frictional contact with the curves inv the tube joining sections Immediately 4I and '42, and sections 4| and 4S. ,'.The thread then extends rearwardly and if long enough wraps around the rear curve 41. The several curves serve to exert a retaining force, onthe thread additional to that provided pneumatically. This operation occurs while the lay is moving' rearwardly andduring picking of the replenished shuttle.

As the lay approaches its rear position the resetting screw engages the web-34 tomove the parts pivotally around stud 52 from the position of Fig. 3 back to the position oflg. 1, thereby raising the section 42 of the tube so that it will be clear of the path of thev shuttle.

In Fig. 3 the section42 of the tube is shown spaced slightly above thek tops of the pile tufts 25. Ifv however it is desired to have the section 42 descend farther so that its under side will contact with the tufts 25 the set screw 65 will be raised somewhat to permit the relation shown in Fig. 6 when the tube has been lowered on Va transferring beat of the loom. In that gure the tops of the tufts are shown as deflected forwardly or to the right because of the pressure of the section 52. This arrangement permits the tube to hold the weft threadW closely against the strip of pile fabric. As the lay moves rearwardly the tufts will appear progressively under the intake mouth 45 and being relieved of pressure will spring upwardly to lift the weft into the mouth where it may be more readily drawninto the tube by the inrushing draft of air as shown in Fig. 6. In this way the resilience of the pile tufts assists in moving the weft thread into the intake mouth. v

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of thread extractor employing a tube supported directly on the arm `33. It will also be apparent that thismode of support provides the several curves which supply additional frictional traction for the thread. It will further be seen that the rubber diskv 51 provides convenient means for maintaining suicientfrictional contact with the surfaces 55 and 60 to hold the tube either in its normally raised position or in the operating down position.- 'Ihe stop screw is used as a precautionary measure to prevent breakage of the tube should the section i2 for any reason tend to move to a position too low for correct operation. It will also be seen that the arm 10 is actuated by the transferrer arm I3 but is capableof being-held in a plurality of angularly adjusted fixed positions with respect to the transferrer arm and that the foot 15 can therefore engage the tube 40- at different times in the descent of the transferrer arm, depending upon the setting of nut 13. -Furthermore, the section v42 servesas ay guard -to prevent the thread W from moving upwardly out of frictional contact with the pile tufts 25. By referring to Fig. 6'it will also beseen that the tufts of the pile fabric 25 serve to lift the weft thread into the intake mouth during backward motion of the lay.

' Having thus described my vinvention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in-the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention and I do not wish to be .limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a reciprocating lay with a kshuttle box thereon from which a weft thread extends to the selvage, engaging means movable rearwardly with the lay and in engagement with the weft thread to move toward the intake mouth.

2.. In a weft replenishing loom having a reciprocating lay with a shuttle box therein from which a weft thread extends to the selvage, engaging means movable rearwardly with the lay and in engagement with the weft thread to move the latter rearwardly with the lay, a tubular member normally spaced above the lay and having anY intake mouth in one end thereof into which a draft of air is drawn on a replenishing beat of the loom, means operative on replenishing beats of the loom to move the tubular member to a substantially horizontal position transversely of andimmediately over the thread to prevent the latter from movinglupwardly and also place the intake mouth behind the thread, rearward motion of the engaging means with the lay movingy the thread t0 a position near the intake mouth and the draft of air drawing the thread into the intake mouth and tubular member.

. 3. In a weft replenishing loom having areciprocating lay-witha shuttle box therein from which a weft thread extends to the 'selvage, engaging means movable rearwardly with the lay and in engagement with the weft thread to move the latter rearwardly with the lay, a tubular member normally spaced above the lay and having an intake mouth in one end thereof into which a draft of air is drawn on a replenishing beat of the loom, means operative on replenishing beats of the loom to move thel tubular member to a substantially horizontal position transversely of and immediately over the thread tol prevent lthe latter from moving upwardly and also place the intake mouth behind and above vthe thread, rearward motion of the engaging means with the lay moving the thread to a position under the intake mouth and the draft of air drawing the thread into the intake mouth and tubular member.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a re ciprocating lay with a shuttle box thereon from which a weft thread extends to the selvage, engaging means movable rearwardly with the lay and in engagement with the weft thread to move the latter rearwardly with the lay, a hollow member having an intake mouth into which a draft of air isxdrawn on replenishing beats of the loom,

means to support the member normally in a posi# tion spaced above the lay, means operative on la replenishing beat of the loom to lower the member to a position immediately over the thread to prevent movement of the latter upwardly away i from the lay and place the intake mouth `behind the thread, rearward motion of the engagingv ber to normal position after a replenishing operation of the loom.

5. In a pneumatic thread extractorfor a weft replenishing loomvhaving a lay movable backwardly and forwardly and having a shuttle from which a thread extends to the adjacent selvage, a mass of deformable material on the lay extending under the thread and having frictional contact with the latter, a tube having a horizontal portion provided with a thread intake mouth at the rear end thereof and extending forwardly over the deformable material and having a draft of air moving into the mouthlduring loom operation, and means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to move said horizontal part of vthe tube to a position adjacent to the deformable material and over the thread to prevent the latter from moving upwardly away from the lay, the last means also operative to place the intake mouth behind the thread, said horizontalpart of the tube holding the thread in frictional contact with the deformable material, and rearward motion of the deformable material with the lay moving the threadv toward the intake mouth to be drawn into the latter by the draft of air.

6. In a pneumatic thread extractor for a weft replenishing loom having a lay movable backwardly and forwardly and having a shuttle from which a thread extends to the adjacent selvage, a mass of deformable material extending across the lay under and in frctional contact with the thread, a pneumatic tubev having a horizontal portion and an intake mouth normally spaced above the deformable material and having a draftof air moving into the mouth during loom operation, and means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to move the horizontal part of the tube into contact with the deformable material to hold the thread against the latter and also to place the intake mouth behind and above the thread, and rearward motion of the deformable material with the laymoving the thread toward the intake mouth to be drawn into the latter by the draft of air.

7. 1n a pneumatic thread extractor for a weft replenishing loom having a lay movable backwardly and forwardly and having a shuttle from which a thread extends to the adjacent selvage, a mass of deformable material extending across the lay under and in frictional contact with the` thread, a pneumatic tube having a horizontal portion and an intake mouth normally spaced above the deformable material and having a draft of air moving into the mouth during loom operation, means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to move the horizontal part of the tube into contact with the deformable material to hold the thread against the latter and to place the intake mouth behind the thread, said tube extending upwardly from theforward end of the horizontal part thereof and then rearwardly to provide internal curved surfaces offering frictional resistance to a thread in the tube, and rearward motion of the deformable material with the lay moving the thread toward the intake mouth to be drawn into the latter by the draft of air.

8. In a pneumatic thread extractor for a weft replenishing loom having a lay movable backwardly and forwardly and having a Shuttle from which a thread extends to the adjacent selvage, a mass of deformable material extending across the lay under and in frictional Contact with the thread, 'a pneumatic tube `having a horizontal portion and an intake mouth normally spaced above the deformable material and having a draft of air moving into the mouth during loom operation, means operative on a` replenishing beat of the loom to move the horizontal part of the tube into contact with the deformable material to deform a portion of the latter and hold the thread against the latter and also to place the intake mouth' behind `the thread, the exterior of the horizontal part of the tube in engagement with the thread thereunder offering less frictional resistance to the thread than the deformable material and the latter acting during backward motion of the lay to move the thread toward the intake mouth.

9. In a pneumatic thread extractor for a weft replenishing loom having a lay movable backwardly and forwardly and having a shuttle from which a thread extends tothe adjacent selvage, a mass of deformable material on the lay extending under the thread and having frictional contact therewith, a tube having a horizontal portion provided with a thread intake mouth at the rear end thereof and extending forwardly over the deformable material, means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to move said horizontal part of the tube to a position adjacent to the deformable" material and over the thread with the intake mouth behind the thread, said horizontal part of the tube holding the thread in frictional contact with the deformable material, and a tongue projecting from the rear of the horizontal `part ofthe tube into the deformable material to guide the thread toward the intake mouth, and rearward motion of the deformablematerial with the lay moving the thread toward Ythe intake mouth to be 'drawn into the latter bythe draft of air.

10. In al weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box from which a weft end extends to the adjacent selvage, a mass of pile tufts extendingtransversely of the lay under and'in frictional contact with the thread, a pneumatic thread extractor comprising a horizontal member with an intake mouth on the under rear side thereof into which a draft of air is drawn on replenishing beats of the loom, means to hold the extractor in'rai'sed, position spaced above the thread, means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to lower the extractor and move the4 horizontal member into contact with the pileltufts lto deformthe latter from their normal positions .and holdV the thread against said tufts, rearwardv motion of thepile tufts with the lay moving the thread and deformed tuft yarns in Wengagement therewith to a position under the :intake-mouth, and the tuft yarns under the mouththereupon assuming normal position to lift the thread into the intake mouth, and means subsequent to a replenishing operation of theY loomto return'the extractor to normal position.

l 11. Ina weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box from which a weft thread extends to the selvage, engaging means movable rearwardly with the lay and in engagement with the weft thread to move the latter rearwardly with the lay, a pneumatic thread extractor comprising a tube having a relatively long substantially horizontal section to have subatmospheric lpressures induced in the rear end thereof,the forward end of the tube being bent downwardly to have a substantially vertical section and then rearwardly to have a relatively short'horizontal section in the rear under side of which is an intake mouth, means operative on a, replenishing beat of the loom to move the forward end of the tube from normal raised position to low operative position with the intake mouth behind the thread and the under side of the short horizontal section in contact with the thread to prevent the latter from moving upwardly away from the lay, rearward motion of the engaging meanswith the lay moving the thread toward the intake mouth, the thread being drawn pneumatically into the intake mouth and into the interior of the tube along the Vertical Section and both horizontal sections, said sections providing frictional resistance to the thread tending to hold the latter in the tube.

12. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided vwith a shuttle box from which a weft thread extends to theselvage, engaging means movable rearwardly with the lay and in engagement with the weft thread to move the latter rearwardly with the lay, an arm pivoted to a xed part of the loom, means to hold the armk in any one o'f a plurality of different angular positions,

a pneumatic thread extractor tube mounted diofthe loom to lower the tube to place the intake y mouth behind the thread and place that part of lthe tube extending toward the lay over the thread, rearward movement of the engaging means with -the lay moving the thread toward the intake mouth, and means carried by the lay to engage the arm subsequent to a replenishing operation of theloom to move said arm in a direction to move the tube away from the lay.

13. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box from which a weft thread extends to the selvage, engaging means movable rearwardlyV with the lay and in engagement with the weft thread to move the latter rearwardly with the lay, an arm pivotally mounted on a part of the loom, means to hold the arm in any one of a plurality of diiferent angular positions, a pneumatic thread extractor tube mounted directly on the arm and having an intake mouth into which air is drawn during loom operation, said arm normally holding the tube raised with the intake mouthspaced above the lay, means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to lower the tube and place the intakev mouth behind the thread, rearward motion of 'the engaging means with the layv moving the thread toward the intake mouth, means acting subsequent to a replenishing operation of the loom to rock the arm in a direction to return the tube to its normally raised position, and means to hold the tube inv any one of a plurality of different positions with respect to the arm to place the intake `mouth at different distances behind the thread.

14. Ina weft replenishing loom. having a lay provided with a shuttle box fromwhich a weftv thread extends to the selvage, engaging means movable rearwardly with the lay and in engagement with the weft thread to move the latter rearwardly with the lay, a pneumatic thread extractor tube having a normally raised intake` mouth into which air is drawn during loom operation, an arm on which the tube is directly' mounted, a pivot for the arm, a pair of elements having relatively movable mutually engaging friction surfaces, one of said elements being xed, means to cause the other element to move with the arm aboutthe pivot, a body of resilient material between the arm and said other element to. transmit a yielding force from the arm to said other element, means acting against the friction of said elements to move the tube to a position v to place the intake mouth behind the thread, motion ofthe engaging means with the ylay moving the thread toward the mouth, and other means also acting against the friction of said elements to raise the tube to normal position.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

